Automatic article dispenser



Aug. 12, 1947.

H; w. PURDY AUTOMATIC ARTICLE DISPENSER FIG. I.

Filed April 8, 1946' FIG. 2.

INVENTOR HARRY WAYNE PURDY ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 12, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC ARTICLE DISPENSER Harry Wayne Purely, Long Beach, Calif.

Application April 8, 1946, Serial No. 660,474

'6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an article dispenser.

One object of the invention is to provide a 'disp'enser for elongated articles. Another object is to provide a dispenser for elongated cylinder- "like articles such as cigarettes which automati- 'cally exposes an article for manual removal. Another object is to provide a dispenser which is simple in construction and without moving parts which dispenses one article at a time. Still arr-- other object of the invention is to provide a device actuated by gravity for dispensing single cylinder-like articles. These and other objects are attained by my invention which will be understood from the following description. reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view showing a preferred form of my dispenser;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2'2 of Fig. 1;

I Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4' is a cross-sectional View taken on the line '4--4. of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, my dispensing device consists of a storage compartment l l adapted to contain elongated articles such as cigarettes arranged in horizontal position one above the other, preferably in a single column. The storage compartment consists of end walls l2, a back wall I3 and a front wall M the upper part of which. is conveniently made to slide in grooves 15 in the end walls to provide means for replenishing the supply of cigarettes or similar articles in the storage compartment. A lower portion A of the front wall is fixed to the end walls [2. The walls are mounted on a base member I6. At the bottom of the storage compartment is provided a throat which permits only one of the articles at a time to pass into an outlet portion [1. The outlet includes a pair of helical slides I8 leading from the throat walls to a centrally located trough or-groove I9 between the two helical slides and at right angles to the axial position of the articles in the storage compartment. The trough or groove l9 extends through the back wall [3 and the front wall I4. Each of the helical surfaces l8 tangentially adjoins the back wall or the fixed portion of the front wall (see T in Figs. 3, i, and 5) and slopes downwardly and toward the groove 89 to form a helical slid l8. Opposite the helical slides at each side of the groove [9, a slot opening 20 may be provided in the dispenser walls, one of such openings being on the front side and the other being on the back side and at opposite positions relative to the trough it. These slots allow the cigarette to make the right angle turn in sliding into the trough, although if desired the turning movement may take place inside a closed discharge portion of the dispenser.

The operation of my dispenser will be described in reference to the dispensing of individual cigarettes which are indicated as C in the drawing. The cigarette in the lowest position in the storage compartment is supported in the throat above the helical surfaces adjacent the position marked T in the drawings. Under the influence of gravity and the superimposed weight of the cigarettes above the lowest one, the ends of the cigarette follow the helical slides which cause the cigarette to turn at right angles to its initial position and ultimately fall into the groove l9 where it acts as a support for the next above cigarette in the throat. When this cigarette, which is marked C on the drawings, is manually withdrawn, the cigarette in the throat slides or rolls down the two helical surfaces making a ninety degree turn and ending in the groove l9, with its ends protruding on both sides of the dispenser in position to be manually withdrawn.

The surfaces it may be perfect or imperfect helical surfaces or slides, or they may be a helical supporting ridge R. extending from the throat Wall to the groove I9 on both sides of the device. The ridge arrangement has the advantage of offering less resistance to the sliding down of the article from the throat into the discharge trough, although with smooth cylindrical articles the helical surface may be used.

As shown, the dispenser is provided with a single column of articles in the storage compartment, but the provision of a throat which permits only one article at a time to pass therethrough permits the use of a compartment not limited to a single column.

The dispenser may be used for dispensing individual cylinder-like articles such as packages of candy, pencils, and other similar objects. The articles need not be truly circular in cross-section since square, hexagonal, octagonal, etc., elongated articles may also be dispensed in the device. For display purposes the front wall It is advantageously made of transparent material to allow full view of the articles in the storage compartment.

The dispenser may be constructed of cardboard, in which case the ridge along which the articles roll or slide may be formed of a cardboard edge leading from the throat to the trough position at right angles to the storage position. An inexpensive dispensing original package for cylindrical articles, which may be discarded when empty, may thus be provided.

I claim:

1. An article dispenser comprising a storage compartment arranged to contain a plurality of similar elongated articles disposed with their long axes in horizontal position; and a discharge compartment below said storage compartment, said discharge compartment comprising a throat adapted to permit passage therethrough' of a single article at a time, a discharge trough extending through said compartment at right angles to and beneath said throat, and a discharge floor consisting of two oppositely disposeddownward sloping surfaces each extending from a wall of the throat and sloping into said trough, whereby an article in said trough supports the next above article located in the throat, and whereby upon removal of said article in the trough the next above article slides into the trough, one end of said article following the lefthand-downward sloping surface and the other end following the right-hand-downward sloping surface.

2. An' article dispenser comprising a storage compartment arranged to contain a plurality of similarelongated articles disposed with their long axes in horizontal position; and a discharge compartment below said storage compartment, said discharge compartment comprising a throat adapted to permit passage therethrough of a single article at a time, a discharge trough extending through said compartment at right angles to and beneath said throat, and a dis charge floor consisting of two downward sloping ridges each extending from the throat and sloping downwardly to the opposite edges of said trough, whereby an article in said trough supports the next above article located in the throat,

' and whereby upon removal of said article in the trough the next above article slides into the trough, one end of said article following each of said ridges in sliding from the throat into the trough.

3. An article dispenser comprising a storage compartment arranged to rcontain a plurality of similar elongated articles disposed with their long axes in horizontalposition; and a discharge compartment below said storage compartment, said discharge compartment comprising. a throat adapted to permit passage therethrough of a sing'le'article at a time, a discharge trough'extending through said compartment at right angles to and beneath said throat, and a discharge floor consisting of two helical surfaces each of a width equal to approximately one-half the length of the throat, the surface on the left side of the discharge compartment extending tangentially from the back side of the throat to the left edge of said trough, and the surface on the right side similar elongated articles disposed with their long axes in horizontal position; and a discharge compartment having walls below said storage compartment, said discharge compartment comprising a, throat adapted to permit passage therethrough of a single article at a time, a discharge trough extending through said compartment at right angles to and beneath said throat, and a discharge floor consisting of two helical surfaces each of a width equal to approximately one-half the length'of the'throat, the surface on the left side of the discharge compartment extending tangentially from the back side of the throat, to

of said discharge compartment opposite said helimeans to slide an article from said throat intocompartment arranged tofcontain a plurality: of;

cal surfaces, whereby an article in said trough supports the next above, article located in the throat means, and whereby upon removal ofsaid article in the trough the next above article slides into the trough, one end of said article following the left helical surface and the other end following the. right helical surface, the article in the trough being manually Withdrawable from either the front or back side of the dispenser.

5. An article dispenser comprising a storage compartment arranged to containa plurality of similar elongated articles disposed with their long axes in horizontal position; and a discharge compartment below said storage compartment, said discharge compartment comprising a throat adapted to permit passage therethrough of a sin- 7 gle article at a time, a centrally disposed discharge opening extending through the front and back walls of said compartment at right angles to, and beneath said throat, and a discharge floor including two oppositely disposed downward sloping ridges each extending from opposite walls of the throat and sloping toward and meeting in alignment with said opening, whereby an article in said opening supports the next above article 1o; cated at right angles thereto in. the throat, and whereby upon removal of said article in the opening the next above article slides into its place,

one end of said next abovearticle following the left-hand-downward sloping ridge and the other end following the right-handedownward sloping ridge. c H

6. In an article dispenser having a storage com partment arranged to contain a plurality of similar elongated articles disposed with their long A V axes in horizontal position and having a throat adapted to permit passage therethroughof a sin- 'gle article at a time; a discharge troughfdis'posed at right angles to and beneath said throat,iand

said discharge trough consisting, of two'downwardly turned helical surfaces each of a width equal to approximately one-half the length of the throat, the left hand surface extending from the back side of the throat'to the left edgejof said trough, and the right hand surface extend ing from the opposite side of the throatto'the right edge of said trough, whereby, an article" in said trough supports the next above article located in the throat means, and whereby upon removal of said first article in the trough the next above article slides into the trough, one. end

of said article following the left downward helical surface and the other end following the right downward helical surface. A f Y I HARRY WA N PURD 

